Those three little words
by Miyo-Nani
Summary: Gajeel has never said 'I love you' to Levy. And it's been eating away at the Iron dragon slayers mate for a while.


**Sorry, for those who were wanting a new chapter today. I woke up, and this was one my mind. Had to write it, but I will have a new chapter up tomorrow. **

* * *

Levy glanced at the Iron dragon slayer that sat across from her, scanning over the contents of a request form in one hand while eating an large, red apple in the other. He looked so comfortable in his environment that it seemed a shame to drag him from his thoughts. Levy bit her lip and thought back to the conversation that she had with her friends earlier that day.

* * *

_"The first time Natsu said 'I love you' to me?" Lucy repeated. Juvia nodded, and pulled her night gown over her head, and her short, blue dress over after it. Lucy placed her long, thin index finger on her chin thoughtfully and mulled over the question. _

_"Probably the first time he kissed me!" Lucy answered. Levy's eyes budged from her head at the answer as she ran the towel over her wet hair._

_"Wow that quick?" She asked her friend. Lucy turned to the blue haired script mage, and nodded. _

_"Of course!" She said. "Isn't it the same with you and Gajeel?" Lucy said. Levy's eyes widened, and she looked away blushing. Juvia noticed her face and laughed. _

_"Come on! You guys have been dating over a year! Surely you have said 'I love you' to each other!" Lucy said brushing her hair on the floor of the fairy hills bath house where the girls were currently bathing. Levy continued her silence for a moment before answering._

_"Well I have said it to him... But he has never said it back." Levy admitted. _

_"Juvia is not surprised by this. Gajeel has always been rather tenacious." Juvia said. Levy frowned and looked away from her friends. _

_"Don't worry Levy!" Juvia said quickly. "I'm sure he loves you, but doesn't feel like he needs to say it! I think Gajeel think you know how he feels." Juvia finished. Of course Levy knew that her boyfriend loved her, but Natsu, and even Gray have said they loved their girlfriends. And it must be nice to hear that... those three little words. _

* * *

Snapping out of the memory Levy looked across the table to see Gajeel hadn't moved. Still scanning the request, and finishing off his apple. Before she lost her nerve, Levy cleared her throat.

"Um... Gajeel." She said quietly. Said dragon slayer's eyes snapped to his mate, and he grunted in acknowledgment before turning back to the paper. Knowing he was listening, Levy continued.

"You know... I love you." Levy said. Opting too try and bait the dragon slayer into say it back. He barely looked away from the request before he grunted again.

"Yeah I know." He mumbled, taking the last bite of his apple, and throwing it into a nearby trashcan. Levy sighed and looked down at her intertwined hands. "We love you Levy!" Her teammates Droy, and Jet said. Suddenly appearing next to her at the table. Levy smiled up at her teammates, who were like brothers in her life.

"Aw, I love you guys too!" Levy said with a large smile. She heard a tsk from her boyfriend as he got up from the table and walked over to Mira.

"I'm taking this." He said sliding the paper over to the Demon take-over mage. She smiled happily at the long haired man.

"Okay! Good luck!" She said. Gajeel turned from the mage and began too walk out of the guild, past Levy, and out the doors.

"Gajeel wait!" She said suddenly. He stopped, and glanced over his shoulder at her.

"Yeah what is it?" he said in his usual gruff voice. Levy got up from the table, and ran outside to his standing place.

"Are we going on a mission?" the girl asked happily. Gajeel scuffed, and turned away.

"Not you shrimp. Too dangerous." He said as he began to walk away. Levy followed him.

"Oh okay! I'll just catch a mission with the team then!" She said. Gajeel grunted in response, and kept walking to his apartment to fetch Lily, and prepare for the mission. All attempts at idle small talk failed on Levy's part. As they approached Gajeel's apartment Levy stopped.

"Do you need help packing?" The dragon slayers girlfriend asked politely.

"I think I can handle it, Shrimp." He said reaching for his key. Levy reached over and grabbed his large hand between her two small ones.

"Okay. Please be careful. Come home soon!" Levy said. Gajeel smirked, and leaned down to kiss the blue haired mage softly. When he pulled away, Levy smiled up at him.

"I love you." She said, her eyes shinning with hope that he will say it back. He just smirked wider, and said,

"Yeah, I know you do." And entered his house before shutting the door softly. Levy knew what being in a relationship with the tenacious man was like. He was of little words and strong pride. But Levy was a hopeless romantic. She longed too hear those words whispered in her ear as she held him tightly before he left her for a long mission. He rarely ever showed emotions, and even kissing or hugging was rare for the girl.

One of the major downfalls was Gajeel outright _refused_ to cuddle or even hold her. Which Levy hated, because she had always dreamed about tucking herself into his large, safe body and snuggling there. Feeling his strong arms wrap around her as they fell asleep together each night. And it hurt Levy to know that he will never be comfortable enough with her to participate in such things with the script mage.

Feeling tears overflow her eyes, Levy turned on her heal and ran from the house.

"Levy?" She heard. Turning around for a second, she was met with Pantherlily. Who was flying toward the house, with a small pack of food for the trip.

"Levy whats wrong?" He said. Levy wanted to shake her head and continue to run away, but the absolute _need_ for some sort of physical comfort consumed her, and she reached out and grabbed the Exceed from the air, and held him tightly to her chest as she began to cry hysterically.

"Levy..." Lily muttered into her chest as he reverted to his larger form in order to properly hold the girl. Levy accepted the change in shape, and instead wrapped her arms around his chest, and cried. Sobs racking through her body as she continued to sob so loudly that neither heard the door of the house behind them open, and Gajeel step out.

"Levy tell me whats wrong." Lily insisted, as he gently patted the small girls back. Levy sniffled, and looked up at the large Exceed. Her eyes overflowing with tears.

"G-Gajeel!" She said. Both the Exceed, and Gajeel stopped moving and looked at the girl with wide eyes.

_What did he do? _The Exceed thought angrily.

_What did I do?! _Gajeel thought, confused, and shocked.

"What did he do?" Lily asked in a calm voice. Levy continued to cry as she said.

"G-Gajeel... G-Gajeel doesn't love me!" She said in a loud voice. The Exceed's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, and Gajeel's widened in shock.

"Lily go inside." He growled. Lily turned to face Gajeel, and Levy looked up with watery eyes. Lily, sensing the mood, reluctantly let go of the sobbing girl, and went inside. Without the support of the big, brawny, Exceed, Levy fell to her knees on the ground, and sat there. Unable to bring herself to face Gajeel. After a few moments, two large pairs of feet appeared directly in front of her, and Levy looked up to face him. His arms crossed, and his eyes glaring down at her. He than said something that she was expecting least.

"Are you stupid?" He asked in a harsh voice. Levy whipped her tears and faced her boyfriend.

"W-what?" She asked. He sighed, and hauled the girl up onto her feet. The anger not leaving his face.

"How dare you accuse me of not loving you?" He said in a calm, but dark tone. Levy's eyes widened as she looked away. "I have never done one thing that told you I didn't love you."

Levy sniffled and turned away from him. "I have said I loved you a million times, and not once have you said it back." Levy said in a hard voice. Gajeel scuffed loudly.

"And here I thought you were smart. Can't you just tell by the way I act?" Gajeel said. Levy became suddenly angrily and turned to face him directly.

"What actions? You refuse to hold me! You hardly ever kiss me. It's a chore to get you to talk to me, and constantly make fun of me!" Levy shouted.

"I have always been like that!" Gajeel shouted back in a loud voice, causing Levy to flinch slightly, but not back down. "Did you expect me to change once you became my mate?!" He said, his voice rising.

"Well you're not a very good mate!" Levy shouted. Gajeel's eyes widened, and he stepped back from the girl with a hurt look on his face.

"Go home Levy." He whispered. Levy's eye widened. Gajeel's feelings were actually... hurt? A feeling of guilt crept in, but she quickly discarding it. Gajeel turned away from the girl and walked inside without saying another word.

* * *

"Thought I'd find you here." Levy looked up from the grass and saw Natsu standing there smirking down at the girl. Levy smiled up at her childhood friend, and scooted over to make room for him as he sat down.

"Lucy had been wondering where you were." Natsu said before noticing her tears. "Hey whats wrong?" He said. Levy sniffled.

"I got into a fight with Gajeel." She muttered.

"About what?" Natsu said handing her a handkerchief he had in his pocket. Levy accepted it, and whipped away her tears.

"I got mad because he never said 'I love you' to me. And called him a terrible mate." Levy said softly. Natsu's eyes widened at the small girl.

"You called him a bad mate? Ouch. Especially to a dragon slayer. Thats a hard hit. Like telling an orphan their parents are dead." Natsu said. Levy's eye widened.

"Is it really that serious!?" She exclaimed. Natsu nodded.

"Our dragons instincts tell us our power, and strength are used to keep our friends, and mate safe. To tell us we are a bad mate. It's like telling us we can't protect you." Natsu explained. Levy looked down. This time, not trying to stop the wave of guilt.

"Besides he says he loves you all the time." Natsu said. Levy looked up at him.

"No he doesn't. He has never told me before!" Levy said. Natsu shook his had.

"Not trued. When he tells you to be careful. When he says it's too dangerous. When he kisses you, when he takes a hit for you, when he cooks for you, when he lets you have his bed. All these things are acts of love. Whats the saying again? Actions speak louder than words." Levy nodded, and stood from the grass, and thanked Natsu.

"No problem!" He said with a large toothy grin, and Levy took off. _Surly I can still catch his departing train. _Levy thought, panting as she ran down the streets toward the train station. Her feet straining to keep up the pace as she flew by shops, and around corners. She could hear the loud train whistle as it signaled her departure.

"No! Stop that train! My mate is on there!" Levy yelled. Her plea getting lost in the screeching of the tracks.

"No, Gajeel!" she shouted loudly, running beside the train as it chugged it's way out of the station. She could see Gajeel, and Lily walking down the asle of the train, finding their seats. She tried waving her arms to get their attention, but to no avail. Tears welling in her eyes for the second time that day she shouted desperately to stop the train.

"No, please-!" She started to say before she ran out of wooden platform beneath her, and landed on the hard packed dirt the station was built on. Not bothering to get up she laid there and cried.

* * *

**Two months later. **

* * *

"You sure he is getting home today?" Lucy asked her best friend who was waiting impatiently on the wooden platform of the Magnolia station. She could see the smoke of the train that would bring her back Gajeel in the distance. Levy nodded.

"Lily wrote to me last week. This is the train." She confirmed. Lucy shrugged.

"Do you want a ride back or will you walk back to town with Gajeel?" Lucy asked. Levy shook her head.

"No you can leave." Lucy nodded, and exited the station just as the long black train was pulling up. People began to pour from the doors, and Levy pushed them all out of the way. Looking for the familiar black hair, and small panther like cat. The crowd of people began to thin before she heard the familiar crunch of metal, and saw him. A white bandana keeping his long, and unruly hair from his face. His metal studs gleaming. He donned a long gray coat, dark red shirt, a black puffy pants. A disk of metal with a few bits taken from it in his hand, and a worn travel pack in the other. A bored expression on his face.

"Gajeel!" Levy shouted. The mans attention grabbed, Levy launched herself at the him. He dropped his possessions quickly and caught the girl before she fell. Before he could talk she attached her lips to his and kissed him deeply. His eye still wide in shock, he tried to register what was happening as she pulled away, and began kissing his entire face. Each cheek, and forehead, and lips, and chin, and nose.

"I missed you." She said with each kiss. "I'm sorry, I love you." She muttered. "I love you. I love you. I love you." She kept saying, her hands tangled in his black hair. When he finally got a grasp on the situation the large man smirked and hugged the script mage tightly.

"I missed you." He muttered into her blue hair. Levy smiled and pulled away to look at him.

"I know. I'm sorry. You are the perfect mate. I couldn't ask for a better one." Levy began to ramble. "It just slipped out, I'm so sorry, I didn't know what I was saying. You don't have to say it, I know you love me. I'll never make you say it, Gajeel ple-"

"I love you." Gajeel said interrupting her. Her mouth hung open, but her words stopped as she starred at the black haired man.

"You... you love me?" Gajeel rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Yes. I love you." He repeated. Levy closed her mouth, and smiled happily up at her mate.

"Yeah, I know you do."

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**If you liked it, please leave a review! I love reading them, and they encourage me to write more cute one-shots like this one! **


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